Process and machine according to this process for printing or dyeing textiles or sheet material

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for printing or dyeing textiles or sheet material, whereby sheet material is printed and dyed by locally applying an endless screen on at least one face of said material by means of a pressure roll, color being continuously fed between said screen and said roll, in the immediate vicinity of the pressure line.

United States Patent Billiet [54] PROCESS AND MACHINE ACCORDING TO THIS PROCESS FOR PRINTING OR DYEING TEXTILES OR SHEET MATERIAL [72] Inventor: Jan Maria G. R. Billiet, Beverlaai 55, Kortrijk, Belgium [22] Filed: Sept. 19, 1969 21 Appl. No.: 859,455

[52] U.S.Cl ..101/122,101/119 [51] Int. Cl ..B4lll3/08 I58| FieldofSearch ..l0l/l21,l22,115,124,114,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 346,869 8/1886 Sherck et a1 ..118/411 581,201 4/1897 Haddon et al.... 101/207 X 747,355 12/1903 Baird ..101/122 1,421,884 7/1922 Yohns ..101/122 1,871,718 8/1932 McNeil ..156/549 [451 Ju1y4, 1972 2,276,181 3/1942 Foster 2101/] 16 2,359,825 10/1944 Campbell ..101/115 3,081,698 3/1963 Childress .l0l/122 X 3,218,968 11/1965 Childress ..101/115 3,220,339 11/1965 Keyworth..... .101/364 X 3,255,617 6/1966 Bisang ..118/405 1,175,284 3/1916 Miller... ..101/210 1,933,887 11/1933 Wood... ..101/210 UX 2,744,464 5/1956 Harless ..101/210 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 537,467 12/1920 France ..101/122 Primary Examiner-R0bert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-R. E. Suter Attorney-Bacon & Thomas 5 7] ABSTRACT Apparatus for printing or dyeing textiles or sheet material, whereby sheet material is printed and dyed by locally applying an endless screen on at least one face of said material by means of a pressure roll, color being continuously fed between said screen and said roll, in the immediate vicinity of the pressure line.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PROCESS AND MACHINE ACCORDING TO THIS PROCESS FOR PRINTING OR DYEING TEXTILES OR SHEET MATERIAL The present invention relates to apparatus for printing or dyeing sheet materials, this expression covering any material formed as a band, such as paper, veneer, woven materials, textures, series of warp threads for the manufacture of textiles, carpets and similar.

Printing apparatus is already known, such as roller printing, wherein colors or inks are applied to the material by means of etched rolls, and screen-printing, wherein colors or inks are pressed through the open areas of the screens by means of a squeegee device to be thus applied to the material.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus adapted to permeate the material, according to the pattern, with color or ink, this being of utmost importance in the case of warp threads for carpets and the like especially when these threads must be cut at certain places. The section of these out threads then shows the same coloration as the periphery.

An advantage of the invention is that the length of the patterns is practically unlimited, without necessitating large and expensive machinery.

These objects and advantages are attained according to the invention by apparatus according to which the material in band or sheet form, forming the support forthe printing, is continuously displaced in the same direction as at least one screen with which the printing is efiectuated, color being fed, during this simultaneous and continuous displacement, between said screen and a corresponding pressure roll,

The present invention also relates to devices or machines which substantially comprise the combination of at least one pressure roll; anendless screen guided by and around said roll, said screen simultaneously contacting the material to be printed and said roll at least along the pressure line of the latter and, near said pressure line, color discharge means to continuously feed color to said screen under said roll.

To better show the characteristics of the invention, one preferred embodiment thereof is hereinafter described in detail, for illustrative purposes only and without any limitation, reference being made to the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically shows, in longitudinal section, a series of aligned machines according to the invention, for multicolor printing, three machines being shown by way of example without this being limitative;

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional view showing on an enlarged scale and with greater detail, the part indicated by F in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section according to line lV-IV of FIG. 3.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the sheet or band 1 of material to be printed is fed according to the invention between the nip of two pressure rolls 2 and 3, endless screens 4 and 5 being provided around said rolls and between the latter and the corresponding faces of sheet I, said screens being supported and guided by guiding rolls 6, 7 and 8, 9 respectively. The screens 4 and 5 are provided with patterns (positive-negative) as sufficiently known in the screenprinting art.

Between each pressure roll 2 and 3 and the sections of the corresponding screen 4, 5 moving towards said roll, is provided a color reservoir, respectively 10 and 11. These reservoirs are each provided with a funnel-shaped inclined extension 12 and 13, which substantially extends along the total length of rolls 2 and 3, in such a way as to present a slotted aperture, 14 and 15 respectively, in the immediate vicinity of the pressure or contact line of said rolls, so that color is thus fed to screen 4 and 5 right next to said line. Thus, when the sheet of material 1 is fed through such a machine, any undue discharge of color on said screens 4 and 5 is prevented. The color is indeed only discharged next to said contact line and the continuous progression of the screens towards this line further forces the color towards the latter.

In this way, color is fed in just the right amount at the place where the printing occurs, the material being further fully permeated with color under the printed surfaces.

Also, any desired pattern pitch may be contemplated as it suffices to give the necessary length to the screens 4 and 5.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an installation for the treatment of one sheet 1, equipped with three machines, each for printing in a different color so as to obtain a large number of possible combinations.

Of course, said rolls 2 and 3 will be positively driven in synchronism with each other and with the screens 4 and 5.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, more details are given of the preferred embodiment of the inventionv In this specific embodiment, the color reservoir 10 which extends substantially over the whole length of roll 2, is open at the top so that color may be fed into said reservoir and freely flow downwardly towards and through the slotted aperture 14, while reservoir 11 is closed at the under side thereof, by a wall 16. At one or both sides thereof, the reservoirs are interconnected by means of a conduit 17 so that color poured into reservoir 10 also flows and fills reservoir 11, the pressure of said color ensuring a continuous flow of the latter through slotted aperture 15.

In order to keep the screens 4 and 5 clean and to prevent an upwards flow of color against the progression of the screens, strips of elastic material such as rubber, l8 and 19, are fixed to the walls of reservoirs l0 and 11 facing the screens, said strips being contacted by the screens.

For the same reason, strips 22 and 23 of elastic material such as rubber are similarly fixed, respectively on the upper and lower walls of reservoirs l2 and 13, respectively, said strips abutting against rolls 2 and 3 and thus closing chambers 20 and 21.

The color is thus prevented from reaching the material 1 at any undesirable place or time,

The chambers 20 and 21 are further closed, at both extremities of reservoirs l0 and l I, by means of a plate 24, the latter being fixed to said funnel-shaped extensions and extending into peripheral grooves 25 and 26 respectively provided in rolls 2 and 3.

A very simple and relatively inexpensive machine is thus obtained, which may be employed to simultaneously print on both sides of the material and through the latter, while providing for a nearly infinite range of pattern pitches without being of great length.

Of course, the invention may be used to print only from one side of the material, the machine being then as hereabove' described, except that the parts described under the layer 1 will be omitted and replaced by a suitable support, such as a drum, an endless band or the like.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described hereabove and illustrated in the drawings, but numerous alterations may be brought thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for screen printing or dying material in sheet or band form wherein the material is continuously fed through the apparatus and color is continuously fed to the printing screen, the improvement comprising: a pressure roll; an endless printing screen guided by and around said roll; a rotatable support positioned with its axis parallel to the axis of said pressure roll and with its peripheral surface disposed closely adjacent to but spaced a short distance from the peripheral surface of said pressure roll, the opposed peripheral surfaces forming therebetween a pressure line and the space between said opposed surfaces forming a nip passage for the printing screen and the material, and color discharge means fixedly mounted adjacent said pressure line on the side thereof where said material and said printing screen enter said nip passage and disposed between said pressure roll and said printing screen, said color discharge means comprising a color reservoir having an elongated discharge aperture extending along the length of said pressure roll and positioned closely adjacent said pressure line to deliver color to said printing screen and said pressure roll in the immediate vicinity of said pressure roll where it first contacts said printing screen; a first strip of elastic material being fixed to said reservoir on the side thereof adjacent said printing screen, said elastic material extending along the length of said discharge aperture on one side thereof and into contact with the adjacent surface of said printing screen, and a second strip of elastic material being fixed to said reservoir on the side thereof adjacent said pressure roll; said second strip of elastic material extending along the length of said discharge opening on the other side thereof and into contact with the adjacent surface of said pressure roll; said printing screen simultaneously contacting the material to be printed and said pressure roll along said pressure line, whereby the continuous and simultaneous progression at the same speed of said printing screen and said material toward said pressure line forces the color fed from said discharge aperture toward said pressure line and through said printing screen at said pressure he 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which an elongated color chamber is fonned along the length of said pressure roll by said first strip of elastic material, the portion of the peripheral surface of said pressure roll disposed between said pressure line and said first strip of elastic material, the portion of said printing screen disposed between said pressure line and said second strip of elastic material, the second strip of elastic material, and the discharge portion of said reservoir, and each end of said color chamber is closed by a plate, said pressure roll being formed adjacent either end thereof with a plate receiving peripheral groove; said plates being fixed to a respective end of said reservoir and extending across and closing the adjacent end of said color chamber and projecting into an aligned peripheral groove in said pressure roll.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said rotatable support comprises a second pressure roll and a second endless printing screen guided by and around said second pressure roll, and in which second color discharge means is fixedly mounted adjacent said pressure line on the side thereof where said material and said second printing screen enter said nip passage and disposed between said second pressure roll and said second printing screen, said second color discharge means comprising a second color reservoir having an elongated discharge aperture extending along the length of said second pressure roll and positioned closely adjacent said pressure line to deliver color to said second printing screen and said second pressure roll in the immediate vicinity of said second pressure roll where it first contacts said second printing screen, a third strip of elastic material being fixed to said second color reservoir on the side thereof adjacent said second printing screen, said third strip of elastic material extending along the length of the discharge aperture of said second color reservoir on one side thereof and into contact with the adjacent surface of the second printing screen, and a fourth strip of elastic material being fixed to said second color reservoir on the side thereof adjacent said second pressure roll, said fourth strip of elastic material extending along the length of the discharge aperture of said second color reservoir on the other side thereof and into contact with the adjacent surface of the second pressure roll, said second printing screen simultaneously contacting the material to be printed and said second pressure roll along said pressure line, whereby color fed from the discharge aperture of said second reservoir as said second printing screen progresses at the same speed as the first named printing screen, is forced toward said pressure line and through said second printing screen at said pressure line.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said first color reservoir is positioned at a higher elevation than said second color reservoir, and in which the second color reservoir is connected with the first color reservoir by a passage through which color flows from the first to the second color reservoir.

5 Apparatus according to claim 4 in which a second elongated color chamber is formed a.long the length of said second pressure roll and is bounded on the sides by said second color reservoir, said pressure line, a portion of the periphery of said second pressure roll, and a portion of said second printing screen; and each end of said second color chamber is closed by a plate fixed to the ends of said second color reservoir, said second pressure roll being formed adjacent either end thereof with a plate receiving groove, said plates extending across and closing the adjacent end of said second color chamber and projecting into an aligned peripheral groove in said second pressure roll. 

1. An apparatus for screen printing or dying material in sheet or band form wherein the material is continuously fed through the apparatus and color is continuously fed to the printing screen, the improvement comprising: a pressure roll; an endless printing screen guided by and around said roll; a rotatable support positioned with its axis parallel to the axis of said pressure roll and with its peripheral surface disposed closely adjacent to but spaced a short distance from the peripheral surface of said pressure roll, the opposed peripheral surfaces forming therebetween a pressure line and the space between said opposed surfaces forming a nip passage for the printing screen and the material, and color discharge means fixedly mounted adjacent said pressure line on the side thereof where said material and said printing screen enter said nip passage and disposed between said pressure roll and said printing screen, said color discharge means comprising a color reservoir having an elongated discharge aperture extending along the length of said pressure roll and positioned closely adjacent said pressure line to deliver color to said printing screen and said pressure roll in the immediate vicinity of said pressure roll where it first contacts said printing screen; a first strip of elastic material being fixed to said reservoir on the side thereof adjacent said printing screen, said elastic material extending along the length of said discharge aperture on one side thereof and into contact with the adjacent surface of said printing screen, and a second strip of elastic material being fixed to said reservoir on the side thereof adjacent said pressure roll; said second strip of elastic material extending along the length of said discharge opening on the other side thereof and into contact with the adjacent surface of said pressure roll; said printing screen simultaneously contacting the material to be printed and said pressure roll along said pressure line, whereby the continuous and simultaneous progression at the same speed of said printing screen and said material toward said pressure line forces the color fed from said discharge aperture toward said pressure line and through said printing screen at said pressure line.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which an elongated color chamber is formed along the length of said pressure roll by said first strip of elastic material, the portion of the peripheral surface of said pressure roll disposed between said pressure line and said first strip of elastic material, the portion of said printing screen disposed between said pressure line and said second strip of elastic material, the second strip of elastic material, and the discharge portion of said reservoir, and each end of said color chamber is closed by a plate, said pressure roll being formed adjacent either end thereof with a plate receiving peripheral groove; said plates being fixed to a respective end of said reservoir and extending across and closing the adjacent end of said color chamber and projecting into an aligned peripheral groove in said pressure roll.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said rotatable support comprises a second pressure roll and a second endless printing screen guided by and around said second pressure roll, and in which second color discharge means is fixedly mounted adjacent said pressure line on the side thereof where said material and said second printing screen enter said nip passage and disposed between said second pressure roll and said second printing screen, said second color discharge means comprising a second color reservoir having an elongated discharge aperture extending along the length of said second pressure roll and positioned closelY adjacent said pressure line to deliver color to said second printing screen and said second pressure roll in the immediate vicinity of said second pressure roll where it first contacts said second printing screen, a third strip of elastic material being fixed to said second color reservoir on the side thereof adjacent said second printing screen, said third strip of elastic material extending along the length of the discharge aperture of said second color reservoir on one side thereof and into contact with the adjacent surface of the second printing screen, and a fourth strip of elastic material being fixed to said second color reservoir on the side thereof adjacent said second pressure roll, said fourth strip of elastic material extending along the length of the discharge aperture of said second color reservoir on the other side thereof and into contact with the adjacent surface of the second pressure roll, said second printing screen simultaneously contacting the material to be printed and said second pressure roll along said pressure line, whereby color fed from the discharge aperture of said second reservoir as said second printing screen progresses at the same speed as the first named printing screen, is forced toward said pressure line and through said second printing screen at said pressure line.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said first color reservoir is positioned at a higher elevation than said second color reservoir, and in which the second color reservoir is connected with the first color reservoir by a passage through which color flows from the first to the second color reservoir.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which a second elongated color chamber is formed along the length of said second pressure roll and is bounded on the sides by said second color reservoir, said pressure line, a portion of the periphery of said second pressure roll, and a portion of said second printing screen; and each end of said second color chamber is closed by a plate fixed to the ends of said second color reservoir, said second pressure roll being formed adjacent either end thereof with a plate receiving groove, said plates extending across and closing the adjacent end of said second color chamber and projecting into an aligned peripheral groove in said second pressure roll. 